Imaizumi Shunsuke
Imaizumi Shunsuke is a second-year student at Sohoku High School and a member of the Sohoku High Bicycle Club. He has been cycling competitively since middle school. Imaizumi is an all-rounder and he uses his sharp, logical thinking to strategize in races, though he becomes quite hot-blooded when driven into a corner. His dream is to become the fastest cyclist in the world. Appearance Imaizumi has short, thin, and spiky black hair as well as dark, narrow eyes; he has a sharp jawline and chin. He is rather tall and lean, often seen in his biking outfit, school uniform, or usagi brand T-shirts (which he collects). He is considered handsome by his many fangirls. In the manga, his appearance is initially much younger-looking with larger eyes and a rounder face. Over the chapters, he is drawn much more mature and sharply. Personality Imaizumi generally behaves quite seriously and very reserved around classmates and girls, though he gets worked up when angry or finds himself at a loss, and can become quite embarrassed if caught saying or doing something unexpected of his cool and serious demeanor that he'd rather have kept secret. At first, he is prideful, cold, competitive, and obsessed with winning races on his own in order to eventually beat Midousuji. He approaches cycling with logic and technical understanding. Once he meets Onoda, Naruko, and the rest of the Sohoku cyclists, his personality begins changing into one more accepting of the strength of a team's will. Although he tries to hide it, his loss of a race to Midousuji when he was younger still haunts him and makes him question his worth as a cyclist. During the Inter High, he faces the complex he developed after losing to Midousuji and learns to rely on and believe in his teammates, riding for himself as well as the team, and supports them to the finish line. He embraces his nature of riding aggressively rather than always mathematical and meticulously, as well as his roles of an assist and ace. In the anime, per Onoda's influence, he develops a liking for Love Hime and frequently sings the anime's theme song. After winning Inter High, his fandom grew, and both Imaizumi and Onoda are both uncomfortable with their newfound fame, but as it happened in Minegayama Hill Climb Race, Naruko was yet to revel in his growing fame. Imaizumi is very easy to dismiss rookies, most notably Onoda and Sugimoto Sadatoki, but he finds it really uneasy to compliment people. In the second year, however, he has become more supportive of Onoda (in how he should act towards freshmen) and other rookies, he also persistent to turn Naruko into an all-rounder. He has also become the Ace. Skills and Techniques He is an all-rounder cyclist who is good at both sprinting and climbing. He's the type of guy who manages himself by shifting gears often. He shows the ability to devise tactics and use logic in order to achieve victory. He works to assist the ace, Kinjou, another all-rounder. He used to ride emotionally and like to shove competitors aside just so he can get his 'peace, quiet and clear air' as a leader and champion. His biggest issues are hesitation to make decisions, and slowing down to match teammate's pace when he at the trailing bunch, especially when he has to nurse a teammate that has fallen behind. As he trained at the 1000km Training Camp, Imaizumi had to ride his bicycle without gearshifters. As a result, he now feels like he can move his bicycle to his bidding. Near the end of the 3rd day of Interhigh, his abilities were fully awakened, resulting in the defeat of his ultimate rival Midousuji. After the Inter High, Imaizumi's road bike was given a new light blue Scott frame, lighter wheels and motorized gear shifters. This allows him to shift gears much faster with no delay and with a simple light touch, and the battery in the system can last for 1500 km before it needs replacing. He is also an able Ace-Assistant, having helped many riders win different races, even when he wants to become an Ace for once. By the end of year two's training camp, Imaizumi was impressed by Naruko's growth (though he hates admitting it), especially when Naruko beat him to the 1000km mark. Known Personal Achievements Trivia ;Likes : Riding at the front of the pack : Quiet environments : Watching waves at the beach when no one else is around Dislikes Losing Crowds ;Collects : Cycling caps from all of the European teams : Hats : Usagi brand t-shirts ;Best subject : Classical Japanese ;Misc * The Imaizumi family is shown to be quite well off, living in a larger than average home with a two car garage, and employs Takahashi, who's either a butler or at least a driver. This is nothing compared to Makishima Yusuke's family however; Imaizumi believed his house could fit in the Makishima's living room. * He is often seen wearing earphones, but he is listening to movie soundtracks. * According to the movie, he is really good at ping-pong, it could also be due to him not wanting to lose to Naruko. * He has a sister 4 years younger who he doesn’t get along with (because all he does is bike). However, when they’re watching comedy variety shows, they laugh in the same places. * When Imaizumi lifted up Sakamichi into the air at the end of Inter-high, he did it naturally and without reserve. * Imaizumi and Naruko often compete with each other even during normal practice, so that whoever wins gets to order the loser around. The orders that Imaizumi makes when he wins are pretty bland compared to Naruko’s. The kind of thing Imaizumi orders is telling Naruko to draw a mustache on his own face. * He listens to any kind of movie soundtrack, ranging from romance to action. ja:今泉 俊輔 Category:Male Characters Category:Cyclists Category:Students Category:Sohoku High Bicycle Club Category:Characters Category:All-rounder